Negotiations seek Syria rebel exit from Homs

Negotiations are underway between the Syrian regime and rebels for the evacuation of opposition forces from the last area they hold in Homs city, the provincial governor told AFP Monday.

Talal Barazi said a meeting was planned for Tuesday "with the goal of reaching a final resolution of the situation in Waer", in the west of Homs city.

Barazi said a deal would "mean the evacuation of the armed men and their weapons, as well as the return of state institutions to the district."

Some 75,000 people currently live in Waer, down from 300,000 before the Syrian conflict began in March 2011.

The Local Coordination Committees, a grassroots activist network, said the meeting on Tuesday was to be held under the auspices of the UN.

A UN representative declined to comment on the reports.

"If the preparations underway succeed, a final settlement will be reached in the coming weeks," said Barazi.

Waer is the only part of the city, which is the capital of Homs province, that remains in the hands of the rebels after opposition forces were evacuated from the Old City in May 2014.

Their withdrawal came after a government siege of two years and daily shelling and combat that devastated the Old City of what was once dubbed "the capital of the revolution".

The deal that led to the rebel withdrawal was overseen by the United Nations.
Source: AFP